The Days After: Reunions, an amourshipping fanfic
by rainbowsandbutterflies888
Summary: Takes place after "Serena's story". Amourshipping, one-sided Pokeshipping, and minor hints of Contestshipping, SticksandStonesshipping, Fourthwheelshipping, Orangeshipping, and Penguinshipping. Ash's friends are having a reunion! But an old friend may put a damper on Ash and Serena's relationship. Will Amourshipping prevail? Reviews appreciated!(Summary sucks, just read)
1. A New Beginning

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back with a new sequel! This takes place after Ash and Serena become Kalos Champion and Kalos Queen, respectfully, because I am incredibly lazy. If you want to know their ages (and other stuff), check my other story. And yes, Misty will be here. I hope you like this one!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. :(**

 **Now, onto the first chappie!**

* * *

Serena gaped at how beautifully simple Pallet Town was. It was the perfect balance of people and nature. Honestly, she felt right at home right away. Clemont and Bonnie were also surprised, due to them living in a city for almost their whole lives. Miette, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna were going to arrive by bus later in the day.

A warm hand enveloped hers, and immediately, if that was even possible, her happiness increased more. Serena couldn't think of a better life-she had friends, family, Kalos Queendom, and most of all...a boyfriend. Yes, Serena was able to snag her lifelong love and friend, Ash Ketchum. She smiled and leaned on him.

"Pallet Town is so pretty! No wonder you were so eager to get back," she noted. Ash smiled. "That, and the fact that my mom's gonna be hosting a reunion, and all of my friends are gonna be here. Oh, man, Brock is gonna be so pissed." Serena looked up at him. "Who's Brock?" Ash smiled, as if he was looking back fondly. "He was one of my friends who traveled with me through four regions, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Right now, he's training to be a doctor." Serena looked confused. "But why would he be pissed?" Ash grinned. "Brock is a...flirt, I guess. He gets infatuated with all the Nurse Joys, Officer Jennys, and...basically, all pretty girls. He usually gets pulled away by Misty, or Max, or later Croagunk. You remember Misty and Max, right? Ya know, the orange haired girl and the small boy with the glasses."

Serena laughed, but in her mind she repeated the name. _So, the girl's name is Misty, huh?_

* * *

Misty hummed as she walked down the road. She hugged her Azurill tightly. _I can't believe I'm going to see Ash again! It's been, what, two years now? I can't wait, especially since I want to confess to him. He's nice, and kind, and even though we fought, well, Brock said we fought like a married couple, right? So we should be destined to be together, right?_

Then she realized, with a jolt, _Oh, no! I forgot, he didn't just go to Hoenn! What about Sinnoh, Unova, and...Kalos, I think? There are so many girls there! He couldn't have fallen in love with them, right?_

She thought back. She and May had become fast friends, and they had kept in contact even after she left Hoenn. She knew that May had a boyfriend, Drew or something. She remembered May talking about Dawn, who seemed to like her childhood friend Kenny. And she vaguely remembered something about a wild girl in Unova, so Ash probably couldn't find a girlfriend there. But Kalos? No one knew what Ash did in Kalos.

 _Come on, Misty, there are tons of reasons why he'd totally want to date you, right? You're attractive enough, you're both trainers, and...yeah!_

 _Plus, Ash is so_ dense. _Any other girls would totally give up on him. He's free for you._

Misty smiled, and soon Pallet Town was in view.

 _Ash, here I come._

* * *

Serena nervously clutched at Ash's arm as Ash rang the doorbell. _What if Ms. Ketchum hates me?_

A cheerful, middle-aged brunette opened the door. Her eyes widened and filled with tears. "A-Ash? Is that...you?"

As Serena stepped aside, Ash opened his arms wide. "Hey, Mom. I'm home. For a while, actually."

Delia hugged her son tightly before noticing a pair of siblings and another girl waiting patiently behind him. She smiled and wiped away the residual tears on her cheeks. "And you must be Ash's Kalos friends. Ash's told me all about you guys! Especially you," she said, pointing to Serena. The couple blushed. Delia laughed. "Just teasing, kiddos. Anyways, come on in!"

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie stepped inside tentatively. Suddenly, something yelled "MIME MIME!" Serena screamed and immediately hid behind Ash, who only chuckled. "Don't worry, Serena. It's just my mom's housekeeper, Mr. Mime. He likes to be called Mimey." A funny-looking Pokemon hopped out from behind Serena. She smiled and patted Mr. Mime's head. "Hi, Mimey." "So, this is Clemont, Bonnie, and my...I mean Serena," _Man! Why did you nearly give that away?_

Delia noticed how close the two seemed, and decided to press them a little.

"Soooo, Ash, have you been thinking about anyone lately?" Ash immediately said, "Yes!" before his eyes widened, his face flamed into a bright red, and he slapped a hand over his mouth. Delia couldn't take it anymore, and almost fell over laughing. "So who's your giiiiiiiirlfriend?" Bonnie and Clemont both pointed to a now crimson red Serena. Delia laughed. "This just keeps getting better and better."

Ash shrugged while attempting to cool down his bright red face. "Well, um...well, I guess I should probably stick with the boring formalities. Clemont is the Lumiose City Gym Leader," _What is it with Ash and gym leaders?_ Delia thought. "Bonnie's Clemont's little sister, and...Serena is..." He looked at her, and she nodded. "Serena is...well, she's my girlfriend." Delia's eyes widened. "Awww, my little baby is growing up already!" She pinched Ash's cheeks eagerly. "I can't wait to tell your mom!" she said to Serena. Serena straightened. "What-? When did you get my mom's number?" Delia smiled. "Well, Mr. Chattypants here wouldn't stop talking about you, and the name Serena rang a bell. It turns out that Mrs. Yvonne was part of a book group we attended many years ago. We shared numbers, and now our favorite topic is you guys!"

Before Delia could continue fangirling, the doorbell rang. As she ran to get the door, Serena smiled and kissed Ash's cheek. "I like her. Me and your mom are going to be good friends!" She looped her arm around his, and as she leaned her head on his, they smiled contentedly. Suddenly, a cry broke them apart.

"Ash!"

"M...Misty?!"

* * *

 **A/N: OOOH HERE IT COMES! I know you are all dying to get to the next chapter, but sorry guys, not yet...**

 **If Misty sounds uncharacteristically sappy and lovesick, sorry. I'll probably make up some before story later on.**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	2. An Old Friend

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I want to make Misty less...sappy but it's actually really hard in a anti-Pokeshipping fanfic. Remember, this is not a silly little crush she has. Plus, you really have no idea what she's thinking throughout the series, so who knows what's actually going on in there?  
**

 **To ultimateCCC: Who the heck is Jerry?**

 **Remember-Misty and Ash will still be best friends. Misty's look will be more or less the same as the one she has in HeartGold and SoulSilver.**

 **Reveiws appreciated!  
**

 **Now onto the story!  
**

* * *

Serena stared at the newcomer. She looked exactly the same as in the picture except her hair was now down and a light blue jacket and grey sweatpants were covering the swimsuit peeking out from her chest.

 _Oh, dear Arceus, don't let it be-_

"Misty! So glad to see you!" Ash immediately leaped from his chair and hugged the girl. Serena could feel a twinge of jealousy bubble up from her core. She gripped the chair and pretended to be calm and collected.

Noticing her new discomfort, Ash grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her up. In the midst, he quietly whispered, "Hey, don't worry. It's just Misty, my friend and just friend." Serena smiled, but was not reassured.

Ash wrapped his hand around hers and said, "Hey, Misty. This is my girlfriend, Serena."

* * *

Misty knew it wasn't looking good for her when she saw a pretty girl leaning on Ash with their eyes closed.

Then, next thing she knew, Ash was hugging her, and she couldn't stop smiling, smiling, smiling.

Then he abruptly stopped and let go. Immediately, Misty felt disappointed. And when he gripped the girl's hand and pulled her up, she caught the slightest snatch of a whisper, and saw her smile. That wasn't a good sign either.

But when he laced his fingers through hers, jealousy raged throughout her body. She had to clench her fists to stop them from trembling.

And then he dropped the first, painful bomb on her.

 _She's her WHAT?_

Despite her shock, anger, and sadness, Misty contorted her face into a forced smile and held out her hand. "Hi! Nice to meet you. I'm Misty." The hesitant girl shook it gently. Misty took a close look at the girl. Her hair was honey-blonde and of medium length-only a couple of inches longer than her own. She had big cerulean eyes, and she was wearing a long red vest, matching light-pink skirt and blouse, long black stockings, and brown boots. A hat, which was obviously hers, rested on the table. She was, admittedly, the prettiest girl Misty had ever seen.

Misty's eyes widened. _No way... That's-No, no, no, this is bad..._

"You're dating the KALOS QUEEN?"

* * *

Serena didn't know what to take of the orange-haired girl. After getting over her initial shock, Misty had introduced herself as the Cerulean Gym Leader. Ash had then excused himself, muttering something about "having to check on his mom". Bonnie and Clemont had also left, to get a head start to Professor Oak's lab. Really, Serena knew they just wanted to get out of their way, and they were probably intensely uncomfortable with the girls' tension.

"So, how'd you meet him?" Misty's tone of voice was light, but Serena knew she desperately wanted to find some flaw, some way she was better than this new girl who stole her crush away from her. Serena knew. She did it around Miette all the time.

Serena couldn't help smiling as she said, "Well, it all started seven years ago..."

* * *

Misty couldn't help feeling shocked. "Huh. He's never mentioned that to me..." The honey-blonde giggled. "Actually, he didn't even remember me, either, until I gave him back his handkerchief." She smiled. "And then, well, he invited me to join him on his journey, and...well, here we are now."

"Man, I'm so jealous. He invited you? So Pikachu didn't even shock you...or your bike, for the matter?" Serena looked confused. "What do you mean? I don't have a bike. But if that's a trend or anything, well...I guess Bonnie got shocked by Pikachu, so..." Misty laughed, imagining the small blonde girl being shocked by Pikachu. Serena smiled. "You know what? I like you. But, um...well, I guess I should tell you right now. I already know about you and Ash." Misty jolted up. "W-whaddya mean?" Serena looked down. "I've seen pictures of you with him. I know you like him...and what I'm saying is..."

Misty couldn't take it anymore. She blurted, "You want me to stay away from him forever, right?" Serena looked shocked. "No, no! Of course not. He's your friend. But...if he really loves you over me, then...I won't stop you. I don't want to make him unhappy. He means too much to me." Misty was surprised to see that she really was willing to give her boyfriend to someone she hardly new. That's when she realized that Serena truly, deeply was in love with him.

Before Misty could dwell on it further, Ash burst into the room.

"Hey, Serena, d'ya wanna see my Pokemon? Clemont and Bonnie are waiting for us at Prof. Oak's." When he noticed Misty, he said, "Oh, you too, Misty. You can come too. You haven't met my Sinnoh, Kalos, or Unova Pokemon yet!"

That hurt.

Misty had never felt more heartbreak in her life.

* * *

Serena admitted that Ash had been a little blunt about his friend/girlfriend priorities, but a small part of her, one that she was ashamed of, was pleased. That small part had muttered, _Now we know who is better._

But all that didn't matter when Ash grabbed her hand and pulled her up. In a flash, he kissed her cheek. She blushed intensely, and he whispered, "Still not used to that? We've been dating for four months!" She grinned, and whispered, "It came from you, and that's all that matters."

Then all three of them, Serena and Ash hand-in-hand, ran off towards Professor Oak's laboratory, where yet another old friend was waiting.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the nearly-week long wait! I hope you liked this chapter! Who do you think this old friend will be?**

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	3. Another Friend

**A/N: Sorry for the super long wait! (#writersblock) Thanks for all the support! Aaaand, the person who is in Professor Oak's office is...NOT TELLING! Hahaha! You're going to have to read the story to find out! (And that, my friends, is what you call** ** _suspense._** **)**

 **So anyways, now that that's over, back to the story!**

* * *

Serena and Ash found Clemont trying to drag Bonnie away from Ash's Pokemon. She also was clutching a very uncomfortable-looking Snivy. Ash laughed. "Bonnie, you gotta let go, or I think Snivy's gonna choke." As Clemont's Aipom arm raised her up, Bonnie dropped the now irritated Grass-Snake Pokemon. Suddenly Misty let out a squeal that didn't seem humanely possible, at that point.

Ash laughed. "Heh...I guess I forgot to mention that Misty's really into water types..." The Kalos gang watched as Misty darted around the lawn, squealing and petting the Water-type Pokemon. Serena couldn't help giggling. _She really loves Water-types..._ "Omigosh! Is that a Frogadier? He looks so cool! And your Oshawott is ADORABLE!" Misty squealed as she picked up the poor Water-type and proceeded to squeeze the life out of him.

Bonnie writhed herself out of the arm's grip and also flew over to fawn over all the cute pokemon. Well, maybe not. Snorlax wasn't that cute, she decided. But he was so nice! And squishy, too. But that was besides the point. She then yelled, "OOH! Can I ride your Charizard? Please, please, pretty please?" Just then, someone popped out from behind Charizard's back.

"Hey, Ash. Long time no see!"

"BROCK?!"

* * *

Misty, even through her Water-type induced frenzy, recognized the brown, spiky hair and the small, squinty eyes. She jumped up, dropped the poor Corphish she was hugging, and ran up and hugged the Gym Leader.

"Whoa, Misty! Haven't seen you in...what, two years? It's been a while!" Brock grinned. Ash ran up and fist-bumped him. Just then, Brock happened to notice the two awkward-looking teens staring at Ash and him. He also caught a glimpse of another, small blonde girl climbing all over a slightly infuriated Charizard. Misty tensed. She was still irritated from Ash kissing Serena's cheek earlier. And what really infuriated her was that she was so...perfect. She was definitely pretty, and she was also kind and compassionate. _Comparing her to me? There's no contest. She'd obviously win._ And she dreaded the moment when...

"Misty? Heeey, Misty?" As Ash waved his hand over her face, she blinked back to reality. "Y-yeah? So wha-?"

Ash smiled (sending millions of thunderbolts through her chest), then turned back to Brock. "So, as I was saying, this is Clemont and this is Bonnie. Clemont's the Gym Leader of Lumiose City. And Bonnie is his younger sister." Clemont eagerly shook Brock's hand. "I am so honored to meet you! I've heard all about you!" Brock laughed. "As a Gym Leader, or a-" "Player," said both Ash and Misty. "I was going to say _wooer of fair maidens,_ but I guess player is the same thing..." Everyone sweatdropped. Ash continued, "And...this is...well...okay. So, this is Serena, and she's my...my-" Ash hesitated. Serena smiled and intertwined their fingers, which only made Misty more jealous. Brock stared at the clasped fingers. "Wait...what..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO! WHYYYYYYYYYY"

* * *

Misty definitely understood Ash's hesitation. Brock was never successful at wooing the ladies, and seeing a teen four years younger than him with a girlfriend-well, that wouldn't be a good sign. Which meant Ash normally wouldn't drop the fact that he had a girlfriend on Misty like a ton of bricks. Which meant that Ash had no idea Misty thought of him more as a friend.

Which meant Misty's nonexistent love life was totally, undeniably, definitely screwed.

* * *

Brock was depressed.

Ever since finding out Ash had a girlfriend, he had first yelled in shock, then proceeded to burble, "Bu...who...what?...wha-" His depression came from the fact that he was three years older than Ash and still had no girlfriend...But moving on...

He was certainly shocked. The girl was extremely attractive. Brock was also proud of the girl, for she managed to pound the message of love through his extremely thick, Pokemon-filled skull. That was some feat. Most girls would have given up, but not this one. This girl was special-she must really be in love with him.

He was also concerned. The way Misty was staring at the girl, he could practically feel the jealous aura emitting from her body. Only Ash would be that dense to not notice that Misty seemed to like him-like, like-like him **(A/N: So many likes!)**. He said, "You know, Ash, Misty also l-" Misty immediately clapped a hand over Brock's mouth. "Likes your Hawlucha! It's so...strong-looking!" Misty giggled nervously. When Ash nodded and turned to Serena, Misty immediately punched him. " _Brock!_ You know not to tell him that!" Brock, lying dazedly on the floor, nodded.

* * *

Serena wasn't so sure about Brock. Sure, he was nice-a bit of a womanizer, but...he was okay. The only thing that bothered her was that he was friends with Misty, and might try to get them together. Ash had been a bit embarrassed when Brock had immediately asked him whether the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys in Unova and Kalos were cute (he could provide no personal opinion).

Even so, he had given her a good talk. When he had recovered from Misty's punch, he pulled Serena aside. "Look, I gotta congratulate you. You got through Ash! I have to admit, you're one of the strongest and most persistent girls I have ever seen! Just...don't rub it in Misty's face, okay? I mean-" Serena shook her head. "I know. I won't."

But sometimes, life proves you wrong.

* * *

 **A/N: I honestly have no idea what to do next. I literally made that up on the fly (cause that's the sort of author I am). I am so sorry for the long wait-again, I am still ashamed it took me a week-A WEEK!-to finish writing a 1000-word chapter. Embarrassing.**

 **Well, see you soon. Love you all!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	4. Request (AN)

**Hi all,**

 **I have a request to make to y'all. So, my FanFiction has been glitching out and for some reason, won't show any of the views I have gotten on my third chapter. Plus, people have been reviewing it, so I know people have seen it. So if you have gotten this message, please review saying "I saw it" or something of the like.**

 **Also, I know I'm sorta being selfish, but views still help motivate me. Without it, I don't have a lot of motivation to keep writing. So for now, I will be developing my next chapter and reading others' stories. Sorry if I don't publish anything for a while.**

 **Thanks for reading this, and I hope to publish something out as soon as possible.**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	5. Hoenn and Sinnoh, meet Kalos

**A/N: Hi all! I'm back! I know, I know, I'm sorry for the hiatus. But the views started coming back, so here I am!**

 **I regret to inform you, but Calem will** _ **not**_ **be appearing in the story. He does not show up at all in the anime, and bringing him in is like introducing a whole new OC. Plus, Calem and Misty...I'm sorry, but _ewww_.**

 **The list of people at the party is:  
**

 **Ash**

 **Serena**

 **Misty**

 **Brock**

 **Gary**

 **Tracey**

 **May**

 **Max**

 **Drew**

 **Dawn**

 **Paul**

 **Kenny**

 **Iris**

 **Cilan**

 **Trip**

 **Clemont**

 **Bonnie**

 **Miette**

 **Trevor**

 **Tierno**

 **Shauna**

 **Basically, all of Ash's rivals, travelling companions, and one other person from each region (Iris and Cilan didn't want to bring anyone, so it went to the Kalos group). Yes, Team Rocket will be here. But not for a loooooong time.**

 **So there we have all the news-now on to this poorly plotted story! YAY!**

* * *

DING DONG!

Ash opened the door, and an overexuberant May immediately hugged him before starting on Brock. Serena laughed. It was way too obvious, from the intensity of the hug and the expression on her face, that she was just a friend. Plus, the green-haired guy gripping her shoulder...that must be his boyfriend. She turned to Bonnie, but Bonnie was still staring at the black-haired boy with glasses. Ash pulled Serena over. "Okay, guys. For you Kalos natives, this is May, my traveling partner. This is May's younger brother, Max. And this is May's friend or rival, Drew. Speaking of which, where's Dawn, Paul, and Kenny?" May grinned. "Paul's outside. Dawn and Kenny went on a short 'walk'. I bet they're just smooching and snuggling together, though...And by the way..." She smiled and kissed Drew on the cheek. Drew grinned-a rare spectacle-and laced his hand through hers.

Ash stared dumbstruck. _Okay, so I was confused as to why May and Dawn would invite Drew and Kenny, but...man._ Misty laughed and high-fived her friend. In the exchange, May whispered, "So, how's your love life?" Misty's face fell slightly. "Well..." Serena grinned and rustled Ash's hair playfully. "Silly, aren't you gonna introduce us?" Ash recovered quickly from his shock. "Right! Sorry. Hehe...Alright. So this is Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader. This is Bonnie, Clemont's younger sister. And this is Serena, my...er, girlfriend."

May immediately looked at Misty sympathetically, who looked like she was about to cry. _Distract her..._ Then something caught her eye. Max was staring at the little blonde girl.

"Hey Maaax, are you getting a crush on someone?" This was said simultaneously with Clemont, who also said, "Hey, Bonnie. Is there someone _you_ would like to marry in here?" Both Bonnie and Max backed up, their arms flailing, as they yelled, "N-NO! No, why would I like-" Max backed up slightly less than Bonnie, and as a result, Bonnie crashed into him. Both parties' faces were bright red.

"Yep, they definitely like each other," whispered May. Serena couldn't stop giggling, until it all became too much and she let out a full-blown laugh. This only triggered laughter from everyone and Max and Bonnie's faces growing redder.

Just then, Dawn, Kenny, Paul, and Tracey burst into the room. "Hi guys! So, what'd we miss-uhhh..." Dawn stared at the two furiously blushing ten-year-olds. Max yelled, "IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" But the damage had been done. The room filled with laughter once again.

* * *

As the laughter finally subsided, everyone gathered in the living room. The couples all gathered on the couch, and everyone else perched on the rug. "Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, meet Dawn. She's my old traveling partner and also May's Contest rival. This is Tracey. He traveled with me in the Orange Islands while Brock was with Professor I-" Suddenly a loud crash was heard. Brock had backed up into the wall, his face a deathly pale white. "D-don't say that name..." Serena glanced to Ash for answers, but he only mouthed _I'll tell you later._ "Okay...So, Tracey is also an amazing artist, and he's Professor Oak's assistant. Paul's my long-time rival. And Kenny is Dawn's rival and...er-" "Boyfriend," interjected Dawn. Kenny blushed, but also nodded.

"And, this is Clemont, Lumiose Gym Leader. This is Bonnie, little sister to Clemont. And this is Serena, my girlfriend and Kalos Queen." Ash had said this so many times that he didn't hesitate any longer. Everyone gaped at Serena, stunned by this new piece of information. Dawn looked at Serena, then Ash.

Dawn let out a deafening squeal.

"OH MY ARCEUS YESSSSS!"

* * *

May absolutely adored love stories, with drama, love, and heartbreak.

But honestly, when it happened in real life, May couldn't help feeling terrible. Guilt plagued her mind. She knew, oh, she knew, that Misty was hopelessly in love. She wanted to console her best friend, knock the sense out of Ash. Yet seeing the look on Ash's face, the way he looked at the girl Serena so fondly, made her realize that _no matter what,_ Ash wasn't going to fall in love with Misty. His heart was already set on another person.

And to make matters worse, May simply couldn't hate Serena. She was attractive and pretty, and kind and sweet. It only made the situation worse for Misty that she was the _Kalos Queen_. May almost wanted to get Serena's autograph. But she abstained, if only to not dampen her friend's heart further.

The worst part was? Misty didn't have a boyfriend to love her.

And May did.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, not so sure about that ending. But I wanted some other's perspectives, too. So sorry guys! (Here comes the flames...)**

 **But anyhow, I hope you like this week's work, and stay tuned for more AMOUR! (Yes, that rhymed. Yes, that was on purpose. Don't judge.)**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	6. Couple Thoughts

**A/N: Hi all. Sorry for the super long hiatus, but...Christmas. Vacation. I'm sorry. I need sleep. School suuuuuuuuuuuucks**

 **Reviews always appreciated!**

 **Now...on to the storyyyyyy (I fell asleep on the keyboard) (OMG. I need sleep. NOW.) (I have absolutely no idea what to write. Here we go...)**

* * *

Dawn screamed as soon as she saw Ash and Serena holding hands. Sure, she had harbored a small crush on Ash while they were traveling together, but it soon dissipated after he left, seeing as he didn't return her feelings. Besides, they were soooo cute together! Plus, she started traveling with Kenny...and then things went along from there.

She was also super excited to meet one of her heroes, Serena Yvonne, the Kalos Queen. That was the equivalent of a Top Coordinator, though Coordinating hadn't reached Kalos yet. She _totally_ understood why Ash had fallen for her. Serena was kind, sweet, and intelligent, too. And from the looks of it, she was just as smitten with him as he was with her. But Dawn had already suspected this. Ever since she had started watching performances on TV to get inspiration for Contests, one performer always caught her eye. Not only had she been talented, but she clearly knew Ash. Dawn had been elated when Serena had won against Aria. And, judging by the way Ash had hugged her afterwards (the channel had backstage cameras), Dawn suspected they had already become a couple. Still, it was so good to hear it from the actual girl and guy.

The only problem that possibly stood in the way of this match-made-in-heaven relationship, Dawn decided, was Misty. She knew Misty had harbored feelings for the black-haired boy for years. Though Misty had obviously tried to suppress them, Dawn had realized that she would not last much longer.

 _If Ash talks about Serena a few more times, she'll snap._

* * *

Miette, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna barged into the room, only to find a blushing Bonnie and Max sprawled on the floor, one on top of the other, and everyone else laughing and chattering amongst the group. Shauna squealed, Trevor immediately blushed a very bright red, Miette snickered loudly, and Trevor yelled, "So _that's_ what we missed back there!" Both Bonnie and Max blushed even redder, if that was even possible, and immediately jumped apart. Everyone laughed.

Miette was happy, though. As matchmaker, she always got her favorite couples together. She and Serena had become best friends the day after Serena confessed to Ash, when Miette admitted she was only trying to get Ash and Serena together. Even though getting Bonnie into a couple was certainly surprising, Miette admitted that it looked super adorable. And now, look at all those couples! Lost in her thoughts, she only managed to catch the tail end of Ash's introduction.

"-and this is Miette, Serena's rival. Guys, meet Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Paul, and Kenny." Misty and May waved, Dawn said, "Pleased to meet you!", Brock smiled in acknowledgement, Kenny nodded slightly, and Paul grunted a bit.

Miette wasn't sure, but she already loved the couples' auras in the room.

 _I wonder if I'll find a boyfriend too..._

* * *

Kenny smiled smugly when Ash presented his girlfriend to the group. He'd been worried that the Pokemon Master had harbored feelings for his girlfriend, but now that he had one of his own, it seemed that possibility was way off.

On the other hand, he saw the drawing boy, Tracey? Yeah, Tracey, staring at Ash with...envy? That didn't sit right with the Coordinator. But _why?_ As far as Kenny knew, Tracey had never shown any jealousy at Ash before. He seemed quite content with being an assistant to Professor Oak. Then Dawn privately pointed out the orange-haired girl staring with envy at the girlfriend, Serena.

 _Oh._

Tracey was jealous of Ash because of _her_.

...

Sometimes, Kenny was irritated at how Dawn's "shippy" qualities rubbed off of him.

* * *

Bonnie's face was still burning long after jumping away from Max. She definitely hadn't been expecting a boy her age to have shown up. And she most definitely didn't anticipate that the boy would look _attractive._ Worse still, she hadn't found one single girl to marry her brother yet (read: humiliate). For the only single girl not from Kalos was Misty, and Bonnie was _not_ going to let the Cerulean Gym Leader marry her brother when she threatened to break up her favorite couple, ASHRENA! **(A/N: This is Bonnie. I made this sound ridiculous for a reason.)**

Actually, she knew one girl who would definitely suit her brother.

 _I'm sure Ash wouldn't mind if I brought her over to Pallet, right? Her grandpa could easily take over the Gym for a couple of days._

Smiling, she headed over to Delia Ketchum.

"Excuse me, Ms. Ketchum, but do you know where the telephone is? I have to make an important call."

* * *

Misty _thought_ she was in a bad mood.

Then the blue-haired girl screamed excitedly, and Misty knew she was going to snap.

But then she didn't. Some evil force stopped her from yelling, screaming how the world was unfair. Crying because everyone _clearly_ had more experience in romance, even Brock. Heck, at least Pike Queen Lucy liked him!

The worst problem was? Serena was still sweet, and nice, and attractive, and hatable, and-

(Author stopped there because Misty's next thoughts are full of swears.)

Luckily, her oppressive feelings were stopped when they heard a loud-

CRASH!

* * *

 **A/N: And there we have it! I am so sorry this took so freaking long. Sorry for the lack of fluff. This is like a filler episode. I myself am so mad that I could not get past writer's block and a cold to just write 1,000 words down. Whaddya think of the chapter? Leave your reviews down below!**

 **Who do you think Bonnie wants to invite? And why was there a huge CRASH sound?**

 **Stay tuned for more!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	7. Backstories and More Friends

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long. But my end-of-semester tests are now coming and...ugh. I don't think you wanna listen to my ranting because I'm sure you all want to hear the STORY! Yes, I have cobbled together some crap and called it a story! HOORAH!**

 **Ha, very funny. But REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED!**

 **Now ONTO THE STORY (for gods' sakes)**

 **NOTE: I'm sorry if the characters sound a little OOC. I can't help it.**

* * *

Serena's arm instinctively clutched onto Ash's when she heard the noise. Everyone hurried together to the main hall, where they saw a very dazed purple-haired girl lying on the ground, swirls replacing her eyes. Dawn laughed uncomfortably while Ash smiled slightly. A green-haired guy appeared from behind the door. "Oh, she is just fine, she just barged in. I guess she didn't expect the door to swing wide open when she started running. Anyhow, how are you, Ash?" Another guy with longish blonde hair slowly stepped out of the shadows and also greeted Ash with a slight nod.

Brock looked shell-shocked. When Green-Haired Dude noticed the tan teenager gaping at him, he too was at a loss for words.

"I DIDN'T KNOW _YOU_ WERE TRAVELING WITH ASH?!" **(A/N: If you don't get this, look on Bulbapedia. It's a side story)**

* * *

After his initial shock, he regained composure and said, "I'm so sorry! My name is Cilan, and this wild girl (who should not be crashing into the rug) is Iris. And Trip is the sorta emo guy in the corner." Everyone said their initial "Hi"s before Cilan bowed in disgrace. "I am so sorry! Iris was attempting to barge through the door when suddenly it just opened! She tripped over the rug and crashed onto the stairs." Iris chose that particular moment to wake up from her daze. "Hi Ash! I bet you're still just as little as you always we-WOAH! ARE MY EYES WORKING PROPERLY?!" Ash looked confused. "Whaddya mean?" Iris shakily pointed at Serena still wrapped around his arm.

Ash smiled. "Man, thanks for reminding me! For you guys, this is Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader. Bonnie, his sister, Tierno, my rival/friend, Shauna, a Performer, Miette, another Performer, Trevor, a Pokemon photographer, and-" He stopped to catch his breath. "This is Serena, my girlfriend."

Iris couldn't help the impossibly large smile overtake her face before punching Ash affectionately and said, "HA! Looks like you aren't such a little kid after all."

Amid the ongoing chatter (May and Dawn were excitedly talking to Serena, Miette, and Shauna on Performing and Trevor had excitedly started chatting with Tracey on photographing), Misty raised her voice ever so slightly and said, "So, Cilan, how did you meet Brock?" Everyone gathered around Cilan and Brock.

"Well, okay. It all started when I went to Johto..."

* * *

"Whoa! I never knew you met him!" Max pointed excitedly at the green haired young man. Cilan laughed. "Yes, I could not have dreamt of such a coincidence!" He struck a dramatic pose. Everyone except Ash, Iris, and Trip edged away awkwardly. Iris elbowed him. "Don't go scaring off Ash's friends like that! You're such a little kid!"

Ash smiled. It was so good to have everyone here. Except...

Ash's stomach growled. Everyone laughed. "Good to see Ash is still the biggest glutton," Brock laughed. "Except you," Drew said, teasing May. "Hey! If you weren't my boyfriend I would have kicked you to Johto already!" she growled. Everyone sweatdropped over the couple's mostly-love-sorta-hate relationship. "Speaking of which," said Brock, "I think I had better go help your mom prepare food for...one, two, three, four...wait..."

RING! RING!

Ash grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

 _"Hey, Ashy-boy."_

"Gary?" A wide smile had spread onto Ash's face. "Man, how's it going?"

 _"I got a quick five-minute break from Rowan so I can congratulate you on winning the Kalos Championship. You've come a long way."_

"Thanks, Gary!"

Suddenly a loud call was heard, something that sounded like "GARY!"

 _"Oops, gotta go. But congrats!"_

"Thanks! G'bye!"

 _"See ya later, Ashy-boy."_

* * *

Ash returned to the room smiling. Serena smiled and patted the seat next to her. He wrapped his arms around her. "So, who was it?" she asked.

"It was one of my old rivals. Gary Oak." Brock and Dawn smiled, but Misty frowned. "Why are you so excited, then?" Misty asked. Ash grinned. "Well, he actually decided to pursue a life as a professor, and so now he's Professor Rowan's assistant. Actually, me, Brock, and Dawn ran into him when we were in Sinnoh. He's actually not as much of a jerk as he used to be."

"Weird..." Misty murmured.

Serena's eyes widened. "Wait-this Gary Oak-do you have some sort of picture of him?"

Ash said, "Hold on-I think I have one, when we were much younger." He got up and disappeared for a few minutes, before coming back with a picture. Serena examined it closely. It was a picture of young Ash and a young, arrogant-looking spiky-brown-haired boy. Serena's eyes widened.

"I know this guy!"

* * *

-o FLASHBACK o-

 _Serena and Ash headed back to where the camps were held. Luckily, no one noticed their disappearance, but an arrogant-looking boy spotted the two young children holding hands, the girl limping slightly._

 _"Well, look who it is..."_

 _Ash and Gary immediately started bickering. Ash didn't seem to take notice of Serena as she quietly backed away, unsure if she should interrupt or not._

 _Her small mouth formed a pout._

 _'I never got to say thank you...'_

-o END OF FLASHBACK o-

* * *

Ash's eyes widened as well. "Oh! I remember! He said something about...you being my girlfriend?" His cheeks flushed pink. Serena smiled slightly, still reminiscing that fateful day. Her eyes softened as she wrapped her hand in his.

"Yeah. I guess he was right, in a way."

Everyone had resumed chatting. They didn't want to bother the couple.

Except Misty. She, on the other hand, didn't want to show that she was screaming internally.

* * *

 **A/N: So, how was it? Added a bit of backstory.**

 **I am so sorry that it took so long to write this. But I really hope you like it!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	8. Dinnertime and a Sleepover

**A/N: Yo all! I'm BACK! WHOO! So howdya think of the last chapter? I am currently close to empty when it comes to story ideas. Also, if you guys like PokeSpe, try checking out Heartbreak, my other main fanfiction right now. I need help on deciding which song OldRivalShipping should have.**

 **I'm sorry that I have taken so long to write a thousand-word story, but FanFiction is a side hobby for me. I don't usually have enough time to write a lot for this. Sorry for the lack of content.**

 **Anyhow, enough about me. ON TO THE STORY!**

* * *

"DINNER'S READY!"

Ash and Serena arrived to the table first, although Serena looked like she had been dragged through the entire house (which she had) to get there. All of Ash's and his companions' Pokemon were waiting patiently for their trainers to arrive. When Serena looked closely, she noted that Dawn's Buneary was snuggled up next to Pikachu (who was looking uncomfortable) a lot more than normal, and that Delphox and Greninja's (Hands? Paws?) were together. She smiled slightly.

"Alright, everyone," called Brock, banging a spoon on a cup. "Before we begin, I'd like to have a quick toast to the Kalos Champion, and greatest friend to us all, ASH KETCHUM!"

"CHEERS!" Everyone raised their cups up and the Pokemon all cried out happily. "Ash, would you like to say a word?" May asked sweetly.

"Umm, okay, well, so I'm really glad you all are here, and, well...LET'S EAT!"

Everyone facepalmed and laughed good-naturedly. Soon, the table had rested into mostly calm, peaceful chatter. It was a good thing that Ash's female companions didn't eat a lot (except for May), because they almost ran out of food from Ash's gluttonous stomach. Yet even though Serena loved the food and enjoyed talking to May and Dawn, Misty's hard glares made it hard for her to feel comfortable.

* * *

After dinner, the group played Pictionary together, girls against boys (the girls won). After that, Monopoly (Cilan steamrolled everyone) and then Candyland (Ash was running out of games). Soon it was late, and Bonnie and Max were beginning to fall asleep.

"We should probably get to bed, guys," Clemont said, hefting his sleeping little sister. "Okay," Ash pondered. "Well, we have a large guest room, and my room is pretty big too, so how about the guys share my room and the girls can have the guest room?" Paul groaned slightly. "You do know there's hardly enough room in there for-mmph!" Drew, Kenny, and Ash all covered Paul's mouth with their hands. " _Shhh!"_ Drew whispered agitatedly. "Do you _want_ our girlfriends to go ballistic?!" Trip shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it." Brock, Trevor, Tracey, Tierno, and Cilan nodded as well. Paul sighed.

"Alright everyone, get your bags! See you all in the morning!"

* * *

The girls all gathered around, their sleeping bags in a circle (did you really think they would actually go to bed?) and laughed and talked. "Hey, Serena?" Iris looked curious. "How did you meet Ash anyways? I mean, you seem to know him so much better than us." Shauna nodded and smiled. "Yeah! You did tell me he was a childhood friend, but I wanna know how!" Dawn eagerly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, tell us, tell us!" Bonnie instantly perked up. "Oh, you guys are gonna love it! It's the cutest story ever!"

May nodded only slightly. In truth, she was dying to know, but Misty was probably still mending her broken heart. So, May decided to be a supportive friend and stayed quiet.

"Well..."

-o FLASHBACK o-

 _'I never wanted to come here...'_

 _"I'm lost...Where am I-wh-what's that?" The bush began rustling. She turned and starter to run, only to trip on a root. Her eyes filled with tears as she waited for a Pokemon to attack her._

 _A Poliwag jumped out and toddled away._

 _Serena started to whimper, as she realized she was lost in the woods with a scraped knee._

 _"MOMMY!" Tears began to run down her face._

 _Suddenly, the bushes rustled. Serena whimpered and tried to scoot back as much as her injured leg would allow her._

 _A boy poked out of the bushes. "Poliwag? Where are you? Hey! Are you okay? My name's Ash! Who are you? Hey, what's wrong?" Tears began to flow down her face._

 _"I hurt...my leg..."_

 _Ash smiled. "Don't worry. See this?" He pulled out a blue handkerchief. "This'll make it better." He tied it around Serena's leg._

 _"All done!" Serena attempted to move her leg. "Ow..." Ash grinned. "Watch this!"_

 _He waved his arms around her leg. "Feel better, feel better! Feel better right away!" Serena tried to get up. "Ow, it still hurts...I can't get up!" Ash smiled and stood up._

 _"Don't give up 'til it's over!" He grinned and held out his hand. "Here, c'mon!"_

 _Serena took his hand, and he pulled her up. Her legs didn't hold, and they ended up in an embrace. Serena stood. "See, I told you! Now c'mon, I'm sure they're all waiting for us!"_

 _And together, hand in hand, they headed back to the summer camp._

-o END OF FLASHBACK o-

Serena smiled. "So, that's how we met! And then..." She smiled slightly and rubbed her blue ribbon slightly. Dawn squealed. "EEEK! So adorable! By the way, you were rubbing that ribbon a lot over the past hour. Why is that?" Serena smiled slightly. "It was when we had our first unofficial date..."

Misty pouted. Why did the girl have to be so lucky?

Little did she know that multiple boys were perched behind the door, eavesdropping.

* * *

 **A/N: Aand, that's a wrap! I find it so funny that I'm probably the only FanFiction writer who doesn't write any first drafts for my FanFiction. Ha.**

 **I'm glad there was a SNOW DAY today so I could push this out to you all early!**

 **Well, REVIEWS ALWAYS APPRECIATED!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	9. GHOSTS!

**A/N: So, I got your reviews, and I totally and wholeheartedly agree-I should definitely make these stories longer. As a writer, I would originally take your advice, but after reading my stories, I realize that there really isn't much to say. Sure, I could lengthen the story, but that would make the plot drag for ages, and as a writer I only want to write short little stories that you can finish in a couple of sittings. So, I may make this chapter a bit longer, but only time (and the plot) can tell.**

 **Moving on, REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED. Now onto the story!**

* * *

It was all Tierno's idea.

Brock, Clemont, and Cilan had immediately crashed, for they were completely exhausted not only from the games but from cooking for 20+ people. Max drowsily crept into his sleeping bag and he closed his eyes, dreaming of Pokemon and a little blonde girl. Trevor and Tracey were huddled in the corner, exchanging pictures and photographs. Soon they too had fallen asleep, their hands still resting on their respective drawings and photos. And Paul and Trip were muttering things about Pokemon and beating Ash and just battle strategy in general. Their eyelids began to droop, until they were almost dozing.

This left the four wide awake. They had first chatted about random things, before Ash began to get bored and said, "Well, guys, I guess I should probably go to bed now. See you all in the morning."

"WAIT!" Tierno jumped up and dragged Ash from his bed. "C'mon, we can't just go to bed now! Let's first do something fun, like...I know, spy on the girls!" Ash recoiled slightly, Drew groaned and slapped his forehead, and Kenny simply blushed bright red. "Wha-"

"It's decided! Let's go!"

The boys groaned. _Man, the girls are gonna kill us,_ they thought.

* * *

Stooped behind the door, the boys heard the girls talking quite loudly. Suddenly, it all began to quiet down, and then a voice began to tell a story. Serena's voice.

Halfway through, Ash's eyes bugged out and his cheeks turned bright red. He barely managed to stop himself from lighting on fire. _This story...this story is about me!_

By then, all of the boys had noticed and were laughing hard at him (or, as loud as they could manage). Ash looked around, and seeing he was cornered, sighed and dropped gently against the door, seemingly defeated. The redness on his face faded, but only slightly. Chatter had begun to break out in the room again, and this managed to mask the sound of the boys' stifled giggles.

Suddenly the girls were quiet. May's voice rang out this time, and Ash swore a faint pink tinge appeared on Drew's face. He smiled. _Look who's blushing now..._

After May, Dawn also began to talk, her voice a tad quieter, but still recognizable. Tierno smiled sardonically and said, "I wonder what kind of stuff she's talking about..." Kenny blushed and backed straight into the wall.

CRASH!

 _Schist..._

* * *

The girls were peacefully talking when a large crash interrupted their thoughts. They all jumped as their eyes widened. Bonnie did the most logical thing any ten-year-old would do.

She screamed.

"EEEEEEEK! GHOST! CLEMOOOONT!"

The girls attempted to calm the startled girl down, but they were not reassured. Serena's spectrophobia began to sink in and soon she was hunched down, her face a ghostly pale white. Tears squeezed out of her shut eyelids and traced down her cheek. "Ash, where are you..." Her voice came out quietly, almost a murmur. Her mouth uttered aching sobs as she hugged her pillow tightly.

Soon May, Misty, Iris, Shauna and Dawn began to succumb to the achingly dark silence out in the hall and they, too, had to steady themselves with their hands. Even Miette, who was usually unflappably cool, was beginning to start shaking.

The door creaked open.

Tears began to flood down Serena's face, and the girls clutched at each other in fear.

"Hello?"

* * *

Tierno was not planning to go in there, especially judging from the amount of screaming and sobbing.

Then suddenly Ash had to hear his girlfriend's voice, out of all the things in there. Had to hear her quiet sobs as she presumably was holding on to the other girls.

"That's it. I'm going in."

Kenny nodded and whispered, "Me too."

Drew only moved his head slightly, but judging from the panicked look on his face, he wanted to go in too.

"Ugh, why? I mean, they're just gonna kill us," Tierno groaned. All the boys glared at him, their faces reading _this is so your fault._

"We're going in anyways. I can't just leave Serena like that," Ash's voice was firm. Tierno sighed.

"Alright, if you say so..."

The door creaked open. "Hello?" Ash spoke tentatively.

A pair of arms crashed into him. Ash tumbled backwards.

"-Ash!"

* * *

Serena's eyes flooded with tears of joy as she saw her boyfriend peek onto the door. Elatedly she ran and almost jumped into his arms.

"Ash!" was all she managed to say before she yanked him closer and kissed him. His eyes widened, before recognizing her face and returning the kiss. Another pair of arms wrapped around his legs.

Bonnie.

The other girl's reunions were quite the same-Dawn had practically strangled Kenny as she hugged him, sobs escaping her mouth as he rubbed her back reassuringly. May was bawling on Drew's shoulder, and while he didn't exactly look happy about it, he brushed the tears away from her face and whispered, "It's okay. You're okay. We're okay." Even Tierno was met with a crying Shauna.

This left Miette and Misty alone during the passionate reunions. Iris had fallen right back asleep.

Miette headed over to Misty and sat down next to her on the sleeping bag.

"Hey, Misty. You wanna talk to me about it? You know, them," she said, pointing towards a red faced Ash and a teary Serena as they smiled, seemingly reassured that nothing bad happened.

Misty looked dumbfounded for a second, before shaking away her embarrassment and nodding.

"Okay."

* * *

 **A/N: Aaand, that's a wrap! I'm pretty happy about this chapter-it's relatively long. So, whaddya think? I may have overplayed the girls' reactions a bit much, but I think it's okay. And now you get the Contest and Penguinshipping fluff anyways, so I think you guys are appeased.**

 **Reviews always appreciated!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	10. Revelations

**A/N: It's FEBRUARY VACATION! WHOO! So I could push this out a tiny bit earlier than expected!**

 **Thank you all for the reviews! A reply to one of the reviewers:**

 **To Pokemonmeat: Hehe, I know, it is pretty short when I came to think of it. But I digress.**

 **To ultimateCCC: Yeah, I guess not, but Bonnie is still pretty young compared to the rest of the girls. So I decided to overplay the "scared little sister" a little more.**

 **Okay, now that that's over, REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED, and on to the story!**

* * *

After telling Miette all about her past instances with Ash, Misty was tired and sleepy. All of the couples had eventually fallen asleep, leaving only the two awake. Miette said, "Well, I mean, he was pretty young, only ten, after all..."

Misty's shoulders hunched down as she thought about all those days, when Ash really did seem like he liked her more than a friend. Her eyes softened as she whispered, "He really seemed into me for a while, too..." Miette smiled, albeit with a little bit of pity.

"I guess I understand, a little bit..." Misty whipped her head towards the blue-haired girl. "W-what do you mean?"

Miette smiled, her eyes gazing towards the ceiling, her head almost lost in thought.

"Well, it's actually more Serena understands..." Catching Misty's immediate scowl, Miette finished quickly, "-before she and Ash became...that." She gestured to the two as they slept in each other's arms. "Believe it or not, Serena used to be just like you, back when she was just starting her journey. She hated me. I thought Ash was cute and sweet (hey, it's true), and she didn't take that very well. Then, after they got together, we reconciled and became how we are today. Best friends."

Misty looked confused. "But how is that similar to my situation?"

"The short answer is, I think you two can potentially become friends."

Misty had a look of disgust. "What? Me-and her?"

"Okay, Misty. I'm just going to ask you one question." Misty nodded.

"Do you love Ash?"

* * *

 _Do I love Ash?_

 _Well, yes. Of course! He's nice, and sweet, and handsome. Who wouldn't?_

Misty voiced her thoughts, but Miette only shook her head.

"Not like that. That's infatuation, and infatuation is only skin-deep. How about...alright. How do you imagine life married to him?"

Misty's eyes widened. Now that she thought about it, what would married life be like? Sure, the marriage ceremony would be blissful, but Misty was quite sure even though Ash was kind and sweet, she didn't really expect a happy married life. Come to think of it, it would actually mostly be Ash annoying the heck out of her and her scolding and hammering Ash through the walls.

As she said this, Miette nodded. "Exactly. Now picture a perfect married life. Who do you see as your significant other?" Misty laughed. "You sound like a marriage counselor."

Miette laughed, but then shifted back in her serious face. "No, really. Who do you see?"

Misty thought for a moment. She thought of Ash, but then immediately dismissed the thought. _Hmm, let's see. Well, Gary's okay, but Tracey's kinder than him...or Brock? Nope, that's just wrong._ Slowly, her thoughts kept returning to Tracey.

"...Tracey? I dunno..." Miette smiled. "Yes! Knew you were into him!" Misty flushed pink. "Wha-what? No...No! That doesn't mean anything...right?" Miette waggled her finger at her. "Nope! Don't deny it! Besides, he likes you quite a fair share too. Why don't you just stop obsessing with Ash already?"

Misty's mouth formed a pout, then slowly morphed into a sad smile.

"I know...it's just...Ash is the only one who's made me feel this way. I-I'm not ready to give up on him. Not yet."

Miette nodded, albeit a little disappointedly. "That's okay, I know. It takes a while to get over a crush."

Misty stared at the clock. _2:48 A.M._

"Yeah."

* * *

 _Am I imagining things?_

Ash had slowly blinked awake. Rubbing his eyes, he stared at the clock.

 _2:45 A.M._

Straining for a better view of the room, he found he could not move his other arm, as a sleeping Serena was curled around it. Smiling softly, Ash used his opposite hand to gently brush away the hair from her closed eyelids. His ears, however, detected some other voices.

"...Ash is the only one who's made me feel this way. I-I'm not ready to give up on him. Not yet."

Ash immediately identified the voice as Misty. His eyes immediately widened.

 _What?_

Another voice, one that sounded a lot like Miette, murmured, "That's okay. I know. It takes a while to get over a crush."

 _No. Way._

Misty's voice, now lowered to a whisper, uttered, "Yeah."

Ash then heard blankets ruffling, as the two girls went to bed.

 _So, is this what you meant, Serena?_

-o FLASHBACK o-

 _"Oh, Ash...At least one of them is completely head over heels in love with you..._ _"_

-o END OF FLASHBACK o-

Ash felt a pang of guilt. Sure, he loved Misty, but more like an annoying older sister sort of way. Hearing her admit to liking...him...was a shock. She sounded so sad, too...

Ash set his face into a face of determination.

 _I guess I'll have to talk to her tomorrow._

Then he caught another glance at the sleeping Serena, her chest rising and falling as she took small breaths. His mind flashed with a harrowing image of Serena's big blue eyes filling with tears, before he realized that there was probably not a big chance of her reacting that strongly.

 _Then again...I guess I should probably tell Serena first. I don't want her to misunderstand._

* * *

 **A/N: WHOO! ASH KNOWS! Yeah, so we've got some new drama in this! How do you guys think this is going to shape up?**

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	11. Misty Finds Out

**A/N: Yo all! I'm back! School is now in full swing once more, so expect a little more fluff ;) What do you think Ash is going to do? What's gonna happen? Well, I'd better stop blabbing and start writing!**

 **Reviews always appreciated!**

 **Now, onto the story!**

* * *

Ash woke up once more, and found it to be 8:30 A.M. Serena was jolted by his sudden movement, and she, too, rose from her sleeping bag only to find Ash smiling at her gently. Her brows wrinkled in confusion. "Ash? Wha-"

Then the events of the previous night washed over her, and she flushed slightly.

Ash observed all of this, chuckling quietly. He couldn't help it, for her face was now dusted with a rosy pink, her hair was a complete mess, and Ash could see a faint trace of drool extending from her mouth to the side of her chin.

 _Man, Serena, if only you knew how cute you look right now._

Then Ash remembered what he was supposed to do at that very moment.

"Hey, Serena?"

"Hmm?"

Ash relayed last night's events to her. "...and that's why I hafta talk to her. But...I just wanted you to know first, 'cause..."

His voice trailed off, and Serena almost immediately melted, then and there.

"Oh, Ash...As long as you're okay, I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Misty's the one who actually needs reassuring right now, not me. But thank you so much for caring." Ash shot her a dubious look. "Why wouldn't I care? You're my girlfriend, after all," The statement nearly drove Serena to tears. She smiled and blushed, wiping the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Thanks Ash. Now go help your friend."

* * *

By the time Ash and Serena reached the first floor, everyone was up and chattering around the kitchen table, eating breakfast. Ash filled a heaping plate full of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, waffles...basically anything that was in reach. Serena, on the other hand, only took a couple of pancakes and a bit of ham, all the while attempting to convince Ash that "okay, maybe you took a little too much?".

Breakfast wasn't much different than last night's dinner. Everyone settled into comfortable chatter, Misty glared at Serena three times, and Ash ate like a pig.

Nothing looked different.

But something felt a little different.

When Misty greeted Ash a good morning, his reply was a little awkward. Not the awkward as in crush, but awkward as in "I know something about you that I'm not comfortable about". And even though Ash ate like a pig, every so often he would stop and stare into thin air before shaking his head and continuing to eat.

Afterwards, Serena quickly distracted everyone, yelling, "Hey! Do you guys wanna see Ash's new Pokemon?" Bonnie and Clemont weren't fooled, they had already seen Ash's Pokemon earlier, but they suspected that Serena was really just pulling them away from the house.

Ash pulled Misty back into the house.

"Look, Misty..."

* * *

Misty couldn't understand why Ash would pull her away from the crowd.

 _Ooh!_ the girly side of her practically screamed. _Maybe he's going to confess that he really loves you, not that brat or whatever her name is! And then he's gonna break up with her, and you are going to elope in a secret ceremony, and your honeymoon is gonna be in Sinnoh, and..._

 _Yeah, right,_ she thought. No, there must be some actual reason why he would pull her back.

She suddenly realized he was talking.

"Look, Misty...I know about you...er...how do I put this? Let's just say that last night, I may or may not have woken up accidentally at about 2:45 A.M. and may or may not have heard you just admit that you...ehm, like me."

 _Oh schist._

Misty was sure she was as red as a Ponyta's mane. Ash looked distinctly uncomfortable as he stared at the wall, avoiding her eyes.

"Wait, I can explain, I-"

Ash smiled, but Misty could tell it was one out of pity. She scowled. "Hey, don't look at me like that!"

Ash's grin got wider and became more genuine. "Now that's the Misty I know."

Misty turned away, swinging her hair back as far as it would let her. "W-well, it's just an old crush. I'm over you, anyways."

Ash could tell, though, that her voice said something different. However, he knew that he would have to reject her. He just wasn't in love with Misty. And if he could tell that he wasn't...

He took a deep breath.

* * *

"Misty."

She turned to him. Her eyes, shining with hope, were immediately dulled by the look on his face.

"I...I'm sorry. But...I just don't think of you more than a friend."

Misty's eyes filled with tears.

 _Of course._

She found her voice, only to find it hoarse. Her normally confident voice had now morphed into a weak, quiet one.

 _What has infatuation turned me into?_

Turning back to Ash, she whispered, "I always knew. I did, I did. You...I...I knew it. I just...didn't think it was gonna hurt this much. I'm sorry...But...I have to go. Please leave me alone."

Misty turned and opened the door. She ran out and slammed the door behind her, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Ash stood there, still shell shocked.

Sighing, he turned and exited through the back door, heading straight to Professor Oak's Laboratory. His cap shadowed his eyes.

 _So this is how it is._

* * *

 **A/N: This was a significantly shorter chapter. I'm sorry, this took too long anyways. But right now I'm writing a one-shot, so this has kinda pushed farther down my list. Don't worry though, the next chapter will probably be a little longer.**

 **Reviews ALWAYS appreciated!  
**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	12. Drama

**A/N: Sorry for not updating for a while! I have been quite busy this week, so I was only able to cobble together something in the past few days. But anyhow, we'd better get going on the story!**

 **Reviews ALWAYS appreciated!**

 **Now onto the story!**

* * *

Spotting her boyfriend trudging up the hill to Professor Oak's laboratory, Serena quietly went out the door and stepped down the stairs, stopping at the step above Ash.

"Hey."

"Hi..."

Serena's eyes softened. She tentatively wrapped her arms around him in a quiet hug.

"I'm sorry about Misty."

Ash pulled back slightly. "What? How did you-"

Serena looked back up the hill. "She came running in earlier. She was...well, let's say she's just in tears right now. And I'm pretty sure Tracey wants to murder you, Arceus knows why, but he was really fuming when he saw Misty in her...state. And May's not exactly pleased either."

Ash slumped slightly. "Great. I thought this was going to help Misty, and now everyone hates me."

Serena placed a hand on his back. "Hey, I'm sure you did the right thing. Misty just needs to recover, that's all. It's very hard to embrace the fact that someone you love doesn't love you back. Besides..." She stared back up at him and smiled softly. " _I_ don't hate you."

Ash smiled sadly and wrapped her into another hug. "Thanks Serena. I really needed that."

* * *

May was very...mixed about Ash. Sure, she was absolutely fuming that Ash made her best friend cry like that, but at the same time, Ash was a good friend. He wouldn't shoot her down rudely, or insult her or something of the like. To be honest, Misty's reaction was actually quite normal, for someone experiencing heartbreak.

So when Serena quietly entered through the back door, dragging in a guilty-looking Ash, May didn't exactly know how to react. Instead, she pretended not to notice them and turned to Drew, a slightly desperate look on her face.

"What should I do? I mean, I don't want Misty to be forever hating Serena and all that..."

Drew rolled his eyes. "Well, Misty's gotta stop overreacting like that."

May fumed. "Whaddya mean, overreacting? She's just been shot down by the only person she's ever fallen in love with! Geez, you're so insensitive!" She made a move to storm off.

Grabbing her detracting arm, Drew gave her a deadpanned look. "...Really? _Just_ been shot down?"

May whipped her head around and stared at him. "Um, yeah!"

Drew groaned quietly. "May, don't you realize that Misty has been shot down the whole time she's been in Pallet? I mean, Ash already has a girlfriend, simple as that. To be honest, she really should have accepted that a long time ago."

May stopped. As much as she hated to admit it, Drew was right.

Her eyes turned from fury at Drew to sympathy for Ash.

"...I guess you're right."

Drew smirked and intertwined their fingers. "Of course," he said, flipping his hair, which made May want to swoon and smack him at the same time. "I'm always right."

* * *

Misty sat down next to the Pokemon, her spiky orange hair rustling slightly in the wind. As soon as she saw Ash and Serena coming into the room, she immediately fled to the backyard. Although she had stopped crying, she was still quite depressed.

 _Why does it always have to be me?_

Something rustled behind Misty.

A sketchpad dangled close to the ground, before a boy holding the sketchpad followed it to the grass as well.

 _Tracey?_

Misty looked at him. He turned away, blushing faintly, before saying, "I don't think Ash deserves to be the one you fell in love with."

Misty's eyes practically bugged out.

 _What?  
_

 _Oh. My. Arceus._

"...I just...I dunno, think you deserve someone better."

Misty blushed and averted her eyes on the grass.

 _I mean, Miette did say so..._

What happened next took quite a great deal of faith.

"How about you take me out to dinner, then?"

Tracey practically fell over from the shock, his face a flaming red.

"Okay, then...er, 6 P.M. Wherever you want. Uh, just don't be late."

Misty smiled, and placed her hand on top of his, not even caring about the butterflies practically throwing themselves around her chest.

"Alright. 6 P.M. it is, then."

Tracey smiled, and the same, wonderful feeling she always had around Ash suddenly reappeared-except it was different. Less spicy, less...bitter. More sweet, with just a hint of saccharine.

Misty loved it.

* * *

Brock worried.

His expression was at its default-rock hard, not showing much expression. But inside, he was freaking out.

Seeing Misty so heartbroken was frightening to him. He wasn't sure why, because he wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything, and certainly not that. And while he definitely cared about Misty, he didn't care for her in... _that_ way. So why was he so scared?

He'd always had two families-his traveling family, like Ash, Misty, May, Dawn, and Max-and his generic family-Flint, Lola, and all of his brothers and sisters. They were all dear to him, much more than he would normally admit. So seeing two members of his traveling family upset...scared him.

For if they didn't get over it, the family would be split. Severed.

And as best friend to both parties, he knew he had to do something.

* * *

Clemont was thinking as he tinkered on a machine. Having all this romantic drama had really made him think about himself.

 _And a particular girl..._

Clemont flushed. _Noope! Don't even think about it!  
_

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, freeing him from his thoughts.

"DING DONG!"

* * *

 **A/N: Who is it? I'm pretty sure you guys all know anyways, haha.**

 **And by the way, if any of you all like Pokespe, or Pokemon Adventures, I'm just gonna let you all know that I will be posting a Pokespe set of drabbles for you all soon.**

 **Thanks so much for reading and reviewing so far!  
**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


	13. Making Up

**A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing! As a fellow writer, this makes me very happy. And while I don't want you all to post anonymous spam reviews, I was actually sort of pleasantly surprised to see a spam message, because they make me feel like I'm famous. (Seriously guys, though, don't.)**

 **But anywho, enough of my rambling. I'm sure you all are practically dying from the suspense I left in the last chapter. ;)**

 **Reviews ALWAYS appreciated! (Except for you, Mr. I'm-Bad-At-English Dude)  
**

 **Now onto the story!**

* * *

Ash quickly hurried to the door, Serena in tow, the depressed mood rapidly dissipating. Opening the door, he was shocked to find...

"Korrina?"

Korrina stepped inside. "Hey Ash! Bonnie told me you were having a congratulations party to celebrate your recent win to the Kalos League, so I just had to come! I couldn't find you at your house, so I tried coming over here. Looks like it worked..." Noticing Clemont, her mouth opened before closing, a small blush quickly forming to the edge of her face. Clemont himself had turned beet red.

Hearing the commotion, everyone else gathered around the room. Bonnie immediately recognized the girl and practically jumped into the stunned Gym Leader's arms. "KORRINA! You made it! Now I can get a wife for Big Brother!" Korrina and Clemont blushed and sweatdropped, while everyone else only giggled at the small girl's antics. Attempting to cool off the blush on his face, Clemont hastily asked, "So, Ash, wanna introduce your friends?"

Ash groaned. "Man, this is gonna take a while."

* * *

After all the boring introductions, Ash decided not to trash Professor Oak's laboratory any more than they already had (not that it was a stunning amount, Brock and Cilan made sure of that). Together, the large party went back to Ash's house, where Delia was waiting with almost truckloads of food.

Brock and Cilan both bowed hurriedly, apologizing profusely. "We didn't know you were making lunch! We're sorry, we would have come and helped you but-" Delia placed a hand on each of their mouths. "No, don't worry, I ordered out! And before you start apologizing about the cost, it's alright. Ash got a lot of money from winning the League anyways, so it's all good." Reassured, both Brock and Cilan decided to help set the plates and food down on the table. Sensing the kids would be okay on their own, Delia then went on a lunch date with some of her girlfriends.

Lunch was...awkward. And silent. Misty and Ash sat on opposite sides, never daring to look each other in the eye. Conversations between anyone were halted, shushed. As if someone was holding them back. Even Korrina, who was in the dark about the whole "relationship" thing, kept quiet.

Finally, Dawn couldn't take it. "Alright, everyone! Misty, what's up with you? Ash, snap out of it! Just make up already!"

For the first time that day, Ash met Misty's eyes. A feeling of mutual agreement passed between them, before Ash finally held out his hand. "...Friends?"

Misty bypassed the hand and almost crushed the boy in a hug.

Everyone let out sighs of relief. _Finally..._

* * *

Soon after that, Misty and Tracey started going out, much to everyone's happiness. Clemont and Korrina's relationship was...complicated. But Bonnie swore there was some spark, and spent hours setting up dates and creating embarrassing situations for the couple, much to Clemont's chagrin.

Somehow, Paul and Miette got together. As their rivals, Ash and Serena couldn't have been more confused, but both resolved that as long as the unlikely couple was happy, they were happy.

As for the others?

Well...

Ash and Serena were, of course, still the most powerful and strongest couple. To be quite honest, when giving all they'd been through into context, they deserved it.

Soon a boy named Calem took Ash's championship, but by then Ash had already set his sights on the Kanto League, therefore he wasn't very sad to lose to the boy. Besides, Calem had a legendary by his side, so there really wasn't much chance of Ash defeating the boy. Instead, he became the Kanto Champion and lived in Pallet Town with Serena. Serena, while still Kalos Queen, was a strong force in bringing Pokemon Performing to Kanto. After retiring from Performances, she became a voice actress while also raising their two children.

Drew and May became the equivalent of Wallace and Winona in Contests. Both were Top Coordinators, and along with Dawn and Kenny, whom were also coincidentally Top Coordinators as well, they acted as ambassadors and traveled around the world spreading Pokemon Contests to far-out regions.

Shauna was able to snag the title of Kalos Queen after Serena stepped down, and both she and Tierno became professional dancers. Miette became a world-famous Poffin chef, while Paul soon became one of the Sinnoh Elite Four.

Clemont and Korrina stayed in their role of Gym Leaders. However, they also assisted Professor Sycamore in researching Mega Evolution.

When they were old enough, Bonnie and Max traveled together through Hoenn and Kalos, respectively. Both May and Clemont teased them both relentlessly, until finally they started dating.

Soon after the reunion, Trip decided to travel more and become even stronger. He disappeared into the mountains and has not been heard from since.

When Professor Oak retired, Gary became the next Professor and employed Tracey to help him. As a Pokemon Watcher, Tracey proved to be very helpful in Gary's research. He and Misty travelled through the regions together, Tracey to help Gary out, and Misty to collect and train more Water Pokemon.

When they returned back to Unova, Cilan left the Gym, along with his brothers, to open up a five-star restaurant full-time. After that, he traveled through the regions to study to be an S-class connoisseur and succeeded. Iris went on to become an extremely powerful Dragon-type trainer, later even beating Alder and winning the title of Unova Champion.

This is where our story ends, but it is certainly not over yet.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so sorry this took forever. I was kind of getting bored of the story, so I decided to end it this chapter. This is not the end of Ash and Serena, though. So be sure to stay tuned for more!**

 **See y'all on the next story!**

 **Yours in demigodishness,**

 **RainbowsandButterflies888**


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